New Publications

Antibiotics Simplified, 2nd Edition

By Jason C Gallagher PharmD BCPS and Conan MacDougall PharmD MAS BCPS. Published by Jones &
Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA, 2012. ISBN 978-14496-1459-1. Paperbound, xiii + 258 pp. (18 11.5
cm), $31.95. www.jblearning.com
Therapeutic Area: This reference includes a brief
review of microbiology and antibiotic pharmacodynamics but mainly focuses on describing antimicrobial agents (including antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimycobacterials, and antiparasitic agents).
Audience: Pharmacy students who will use this
book to supplement material taught in pharmacy
school are the intended audience. The book may also
be helpful to medical students and perhaps pharmacy and medical residents early in their training.
Purpose: This book is designed to serve as a quick
reference guide and supplement to other pharmacology textbooks. It provides key points about each
class of antimicrobials. The format allows it to serve
as a quick reference for pharmacy students and junior health care professionals who will be involved
in the design of antimicrobial regimens.
Content: The book is divided into 6 parts. Part 1
contains a brief overview of microbiology, pharmacodynamics, and potential adverse consequences.
Parts 2-6 cover antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents. Within each
part, chapters are divided by drug class. Each drug
class chapter follows the same basic format. The
agents within the class are listed, with the most common agents in bold print. A brief overview describing the role of each class in therapy is then provided.
The heading Spectrum of Activity is divided into good,
moderate, and poor coverage. Adverse Effects lists the
most common and/or concerning adverse effects.
Next, dosing issues and common problems or potential errors are discussed. Important Facts provides
a brief summary of relevant information for each class
such as bioavailability, drug-drug interactions, and
adjustments for renal or hepatic impairment. What
Theyre Good For discusses some of the most common and/or useful indications. Finally, Dont Forget!
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lists key points that the authors believe are often overlooked or that are especially important, such as monitoring renal function and drug-food interactions.
Usability: The reference appears to be up-to-date,
as it includes newly approved agents such as ceftaroline. Although this book would fit into a lab coat
pocket, it is too large to carry on an everyday basis,
given that it only covers one subject area.
Highlights: The reference is well organized and provides a concise but comprehensive review of each
antibacterial drug class. Each section includes useful
clinical pearls as well. The appendices are beneficial
for the new practitioner, as they can serve as a quick
guide for a spectrum of activity and offer empiric regimens for commonly encountered infections.
Limitations: The depth of material in some sections
is limited. For example, the book provides only a basic overview of pharmacodynamics and resistance
and very little in the way of applied pharmacokinetics. Also, the sections on antivirals and antiretrovirals
are very brief, as they only discuss the class and not
individual agents.
Comparison with Previous Edition or Version: This
version includes antiviral agents, such as antiretrovirals for the treatment of HIV, antimycobacterial agents,
and antiparasitic agents. Additionally, a new appendix
with empiric regimens for common infections has
been added.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products:
The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy is another popular pocket-size antimicrobial reference. It
is less expensive than Antibiotics Simplified, and the
most current edition is thinner and lighter than previous editions. With regard to content, the Sanford
Guide provides more in-depth coverage of specific
infection types, empiric regimens including dosing,
and other pertinent infectious disease topics such as
immunization tables and postexposure prophylaxis
regimens.
Reviewers Summary: I recommend this book for
pharmacy students and other health care professionals in training. However, although it may serve as a
quick, concise reference to provide basic information
about a drug class including its spectrum, usual place
in therapy, and clinical pearls, practitioners may need

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to supplement the material with other drug references

or primary literature for information on dosing, drugdrug interactions, or more complicated infections.
Reviewer: Eljim P Tesoro PharmD BCPS, Clinical
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago
Conflict of interest: Author reported none

Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical

and Forensic Guide, 2nd Edition
Edited by Ashraf Mozayani and Lionel Raymon.
Published by Humana Press, c/o Springer Science+
Business Media LLC, New York, NY, 2012. ISBN 9781-61779-221-2. Clothbound, xi + 828 pp. (24 16
cm), $239. www.springer.com
Therapeutic Area: Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-alcohol, and drugs of abuse interactions.
Audience: The intended audience includes students,
researchers, and professionals in medicine, pharmacy, the pharmaceutical sciences, and forensics.
Purpose: To provide explanations about pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug interactions.
Although the word handbook is part of the title, this
book is not a quick reference, but rather an in-depth
review of several types of drug interactions.
Content: The book is divided into 7 parts and 17
chapters, with contributions from nearly 40 professionals from several disciplines including pharmacy,
law, toxicology, medicine, and pharmaceutical research. Part I, Pharmacogenomics, includes 1 chapter discussing the pharmacogenetics involved with
clinical and opioid-related forensic toxicology. Parts
II through V discuss the pharmacology, chemistry, adverse effects, drug interactions, and legal implications
of several classes of medications. Part II on central
nervous system drugs is divided into 7 chapters that
discuss benzodiazepines, antiepileptics, opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors, antipsychotics, and drugs of abuse. Part III,
Cardiovascular Drugs, includes 1 chapter subdivided into several pharmaceutical classes including antiarrhythmics, sympathomimetics, vasodilators, antihypertensives, diuretics, anticoagulants, antiplatelets,
and lipid- lowering medications. Part IV, Antibiotics,
and Part V, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs,
each contain 1 chapter with similar information about
these pharmaceutical classes. Part VI, Environmental
and Social Pharmacology, includes 4 chapters detailing information about interactions between medications and food, alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, anabolic
doping agents, and other drugs. Part VII, Legal Aspects,
contains 2 chapters about drug interactionrelated
litigation, as well as psychotropic medications and
crime. Multiple tables and diagrams complement the
extensive text and references within each chapter.
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Usability: Chapters divide the book by pharmaceutical class, making it easy to compare agents within a class. The index allows for searching by individual medication. The information is extensively referenced with primary literature spanning several
decades. In some chapters, the references are nicely
grouped by individual medication or pharmaceutical
class. The price and limited use as a clinical frontline
reference will likely restrict the handbooks purchase.
Highlights: The sections focused on drugs of abuse,
forensic data, and legal implications are unique. There
is comprehensive coverage of the pharmacology, pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic attributes of drugs. The coverage of pharmaceutical classes and individual agents is fairly inclusive.
Limitations: Because the book is hardbound, updates will lag behind clinical frontline drug interaction references published online or in other updatable formats. Recently approved medications and the
most current information are not included.
Comparisons with Previous Edition or Version: Information has been updated with new references, new
medications, and new data. A section on pharmacogenomics is included. Interactions with drugs of
abuse are included in this second edition.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products: Because of the format, this reference will not be
updated as frequently as most of the other drug interaction references. This text provides less clinical frontline information but takes a more detailed, explanatory approach to understanding drug interactions. Because
this information is not readily available in other references, it will be beneficial to those seeking a more thorough knowledge of drug interactions.
Reviewers Summary: This reference will be useful
to those seeking comprehensive knowledge about the
mechanisms of drug interactions. Pharmaceutical researchers and libraries should consider including this
handbook in their collections.
Reviewer: Julie P Karpinski PharmD BCPS, Drug
Information Pharmacist, Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, WI
Conflict of interest: Dr. Karpinski is a Consulting
Contributor for Evaluations of Drug Interactions, a
binder drug interaction reference published by FirstDataBank.

BOOKS RECEIVED

Parasitic Helminths: Targets, Screens, Drugs and

Vaccines; Volume 3 of Series Title: Drug Discovery in Infectious Diseases. Edited by Conor R Caffrey PhD. Published by Wiley-Blackwell, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Weinheim, Germany,

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